noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈkɝtsɪ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɜːtsɪ/
Scotland:/ˈkʌɾtsɪ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A small bow, generally performed by a woman or a girl, where she crosses the shin of one leg behind the calf of her other leg and briefly bends her knees to lower her body in deference.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I refused to make so much as a curtsey for the passing nobles, as I am a staunch egalitarian.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To make a curtsey.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The hotel's staff never curtsied, nodded, or bowed to the owner as she passed, as they were staunch egalitarians.
1890, James Russell Lowell, Address in Publications of the Modern Language Association of America But DANTE was a great genius, and language curtseys to its natural Kings.
1903, W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk He curtsied low, and then bowed almost to the ground, with an imperturbable gravity that seemed almost suspicious.
1908, Caroline Crawford, Folk Dances and Games The gentleman bows and the lady curtesys (measure eight).
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
bending the knees; a gesture of respect made by women
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: curtsy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: reverence, gesture, motion
4
verb
Meaning 4
bend the knees in a gesture of respectful greeting
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: curtsy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bow
History
Etymology
Variant of courtesy (1525) (from court + -esy), from Middle English curteisie, curtesie, from Anglo-Norman curtesie, from Old French curteisie, cortoisie.
Across languages
Translations
56 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
ревера́нс
(reveráns)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Chinese Mandarin:
屈膝禮 /屈膝礼
(qūxīlǐ)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Czech:
pukrle
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Czech:
úklona
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Danish:
kniks
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Danish:
nej
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Danish:
nejning
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Dutch:
nijging
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Finnish:
niiaus
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
French:
révérence
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
German:
Knicks
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Hungarian:
pukedli
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Icelandic:
hneiging
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Icelandic:
hnébeyging
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Irish:
umhlú
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Italian:
riverenza
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Italian:
inchino
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Japanese:
おじぎ
(ojigi)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Korean:
인사
(insa)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Polish:
dygnięcie
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Polish:
dyg
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Portuguese:
cortesia
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Portuguese:
reverência
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Romanian:
reverență
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Russian:
ревера́нс
(reveráns)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Russian:
кни́ксен
(kníksɛn)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Russian:
приседа́ние
(prisedánije)
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Serbo-Croatian:
кникс
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Serbo-Croatian:
kniks
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Slovak:
pukrlík
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Slovak:
úklon
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Spanish:
reverencia
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Swedish:
nigning
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Swedish:
knix
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Turkish:
reverans
— small bow of knees and lowered body, usually by a female
Bulgarian:
правя реверанс
(pravja reverans)
— to make a curtsey
Danish:
neje
— to make a curtsey
Dutch:
nijgen
— to make a curtsey
Finnish:
niiata
— to make a curtsey
French:
faire la révérence
— to make a curtsey
French:
révérencier
— to make a curtsey
German:
knicksen
— to make a curtsey
Hungarian:
pukedlizik
— to make a curtsey
Icelandic:
hneigja sig í hnjáliðunum
— to make a curtsey
Italian:
fare la riverenza
— to make a curtsey
Italian:
fare l'inchino
— to make a curtsey
Norwegian:
neie
— to make a curtsey
Polish:
dygać
— to make a curtsey
Polish:
dygnąć
— to make a curtsey
Portuguese:
cortejar
— to make a curtsey
Serbo-Croatian:
napraviti kniks
— to make a curtsey
